1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to booms and pylons used for water sports activities. More particularly, it concerns a selectively extendable and retractable pylon that is shiftable between a pylon position and a boom position.
2. The Background Art
It is known in the prior art to provide motorized watercraft with various booms and pylons to assist in water sports activities. The term "water sport" as used herein shall refer generally to water activities accomplished through the use of watercraft, including, but not limited to, wake boarding, knee boarding, water skiing, barefoot water skiing, and any other water sport activity utilizing a tow rope and watercraft. The phrase "water sporter" refers to one who engages in water sports. Some of the prior art devices are shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates a motorized watercraft designated generally at 10. FIG. 1 depicts three separate accessory devices, namely, a pylon 12, a taller pylon or "elevated pylon" 14 shown in phantom line, and a laterally-extending boom 16, also in phantom line.
The pylon 12 is used to support a tow rope (not shown in FIG. 1) at attachment point 22 pulling a water sporter during normal water-sporting activities. More adventurous water sporters who enjoy negotiating the wake of turbulent water or ramping devices will be launched into the air as they water ski, and they often use the elevated pylon 14 whereby the tow rope would be attached at the higher attachment point 24 to accommodate the launch. Less adventurous or novice water sporters often prefer to use the side boom 16 which extends rigidly sideways from the side 20 of the watercraft 10. The water sporter simply grasps the boom 16 to obtain support in the vertical dimension or attaches a short rope or yoke to the boom 16.
Examples of prior art pylon towing devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,893,577 (granted Jan. 16, 1990 to Jennings) and 4,641,597 (granted Feb. 10, 1987 to Paxton). An example of a conventional boom assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,109 (granted Mar. 19, 1991 to Anderson).
The elevated pylon 14 and the boom 16 are normally stored in the bottom or side of the boat. If a user desires to use the elevated pylon 14, it is retrieved from the bottom or side of the boat and placed over the pylon 12 and secured thereto. Similarly, if a user desires to use the boom 16, the boom is then retrieved from the bottom or side of the boat and attached at attachment point 18 to the pylon. The boom extends over the side 20 of the boat in a laterally-extended sideways position as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the thinking in the prior art has been limited to an approach of adding separate structural accessories for each towing function. Water sporters wanted a laterally extending boom, so the industry responded with a structural member for that function as well. Water sporters wanted a taller pylon, so the industry again responded with an additional structural member.
The unfortunate byproduct of this thinking has been an encumbrance of the already limited storage space in the watercraft. These various accessories also take up valuable space when they are detached and stored in the boat during periods of nonuse. Another disadvantage is that the various pylon, elevated pylon and boom accessories can be cumbersome, laborious and time-consuming to attach and remove.